Net migration is main driver
New Zealand’s resident population has grown by 2.1%, or 105,900 people, over the preceding 12 months, to hit 5.22 million as of June 30, fresh figures from Stats NZ showed.
“Growth of 2.1% is a sizeable rebound,” said Michael MacAskill (pictured above), estimates and projections manager at Stats NZ. “New Zealand’s net migration during the June 2023 year was the main driver of population growth over this period.”
Net migration bounced back to a gain of 86,000 in the June 2023 year, recovering from a net migration loss of 17,600 in the previous year.
Population growth has been at low levels over the past two years – 0.4% to June 2021 and 0.1% to June 2022 – due to reduced migration caused by COVID-19 border restrictions.
New Zealand’s population change combines natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration (migrant arrivals minus migrant departures), Stats NZ said.
“Natural increase had a smaller impact on population growth than in previous years, due to fewer live births and slightly more deaths,” MacAskill said. “The natural increase of 19,100 was the smallest New Zealand has experienced since 1943.”
For more information on the latest migration figures, read Stats NZ’s International migration: June 2023 report.
Due to New Zealand’s ageing population, there has been a rising number of deaths every year. In the June 2023 year, the number of deaths was 3.8% more than in 2022 – a higher number of deaths that also reflected more deaths in the September and December quarters in 2022, including the impacts of the pandemic.
Across the broad age groups, young working-age adults, or those aged 15 to 39, had the highest growth, up 3.3% over the June year 2023. That’s 56,200 more people, or about 154 people per day. The increase was mainly driven by net migration, with young working-age adults making up two-thirds of the net migration gain.
On the other end of the spectrum, the age group with the lowest increase were the people aged 0–14, at 0.5%, or 4,600 people. That is equivalent to just under 13 people a day), which reflects the fewer births in 2023, which was the lowest annual number since 2005.
The population aged 65+ has continued to increase, up by 2.8%, or 23,900 people. That’s equivalent to around 65 people per day, Stats NZ figures showed.
“People born in the late 1950s are now entering this age group and exceeding the numbers exiting this age group through death,” MacAskill said.
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